Node-Red Palette: Common Choices

⚙️ Custom Apps and Drivers Node-RED
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I'm opening this topic to ask if there's any reason to create a List of Modules for one's first installation of Node-Red.

I ask because it seems there's a few new users to NR every few days and the Flows that are being shared often use a Palette item not on everyone's installation.

Must Have:

  • node-red-contrib-hubitat (Node-RED to Hubitat communication)
  • node-red-node-rbe (continue down flow only if a value changes)
  • node-red-contrib-noop (Simple placeholder node to help visualizations)

Palettes to help with logic:

  • node-red-contrib-stoptimer2 (timer with ability to stop/cancel)
  • node-red-contrib-bigtimer
  • node-red-contrib-boolean-logic-ultimate
  • node-red-contrib-easing (fading/dimming)
  • node-red-contrib-state-machine (potentially simplifies if-then-else logic. There are a couple other implementations)
  • node-red-contrib-time-range-switch (sunrise/sunset, between two times, etc.)

Device-specific palettes:

  • node-red-contrib-bravia (Sony TVs)
  • node-red-contrib-castv2 (ChromeCast TTS/audible announcements)
  • node-red-contrib-harmony-websocket (Harmony hub)
  • node-red-contrib-huemagic (Philips Hue hub interaction)
  • node-red-contrib-lametric-notification (LaMetric smart clock)
  • node-red-contrib-lutron
  • node-red-contrib-smartthings
  • node-red-contrib-sonos-plus
  • node-red-contrib-unifi

Notifications/Interaction:

  • node-red-dashboard
  • node-red-node-email
  • node-red-contrib-pushover (free web-based service)
  • node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2 (Amazon routines, TTS and push notifications)

Presence/Geofence:

  • node-red-contrib-owntracks
  • node-red-contrib-ping
  • node-red-node-geofence

Utilities:

  • node-red-contrib-random-event-generator
  • node-red-contrib-semaphore (semaphore locking, fun but potentially tricky.)
  • node-red-contrib-statistics
  • node-red-contrib-unsafe-function (use in place of Function node, much faster.)
  • node-red-node-base64 (tried to use for dynamic images on dashboard.)
  • node-red-contrib-average (average values of sensors eg. temp/humidity)
  • node-red-contrib-advance-logger
  • node-red-contrib-light-scheduler (another timer node for common lighting schedules)

What else should first time NR users add early in the process?

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I use these as well as most of the ones you mentioned:

node-red-dashboard
node-red-node-rbe
node-red-node-email
node-red-node-geofence
node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2

edit: what is the difference between stoptimer2 and stoptimer? I am using the latter... nvmnd the one I'm using seems to be out of date.. sigh.

edit2: I can't remember if I added those core ones or if they were auto included.. but thought I'd mention them.

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This should be the VERY 1st !!! :grinning:

For those with a ST hub running that don't want to use HubConnect: node-red-contrib-smartthings

It was recently changed to use local webhook so it's faster. However, the instructions don't specify you have to put in port number for Node Red IP address but you do have to include.

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Can I recommend:

node-red-contrib-boolean-logic-ultimate instead?

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@aaiyar
You sure can.. obviously I think that's the purpose of this thread. :smiley:

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Here are some other one's that I've found useful:

  • node-red-contrib-ping (presence detection)
  • node-red-contrib-easing (fading/dimming)
  • node-red-contrib-harmony-websocket (Harmony hub)
  • node-red-contrib-lutron (direct Lutron Caseta, no need to go through HE)
  • node-red-contrib-owntracks (presence detection)
  • node-red-contrib-average (average values of sensors eg. temp/humidity)
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@erktrek
I think that's one of my motivations in asking.. is "2" better than the original? There's no way for new NR people to know.. heck, I bet I don't even know. :slight_smile:

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I totally agree!

For the timer thing my thought is newer may be "better" due to the major NR version change so maybe things are coded to that standard. That's why I'm now replacing the old one...

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Here's another one - surprised not to find in it in @erktrek's recommended list:

node-red-contrib-unsafe-function

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Oh there's plenty of 'cool' modules.. my motivation is to simplify, for newly installed NR systems, what works 'best' for maybe the first 5 flows?? After that, individual choices begin to dominate, as well as skills at finding and selection various modules.

In other words, if someone is inspired to build a NR instance, because they read someone's mention of "Moving all my RM to NR"... what would those first Flows be??

I'm thinking Motion by Mode, Cancelable timers, Announcements (via Alexa or Google Home) and so on. I feel like those posts inspire people to try it out... THEN they want all the simpler stuff. :smiley:

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The first thing I moved over was:

Motion Lighting, Timed switches/lighting, rules triggered by contact sensors

The thing that took the longest was developing a flow that controlled my thermostat (replacing ~8 rules in RM).

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I do like that module but figured it was for after the initial NR discovery and learning.

I also have been playing around with "node-red-contrib-aedes" the built in MQTT broker. Seems to work pretty well.

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I updated the first post to have everything suggested up to post# 10

  • node-red-contrib-bigtimer v2.3.1
  • node-red-contrib-boolean-logic-ultimate
  • node-red-contrib-castv2 v2.0.5
  • node-red-contrib-hubitat v0.0.31
  • node-red-contrib-pushover v0.2.0
  • node-red-contrib-stoptimer2 v0.1.1
  • node-red-contrib-time-range-switch v1.0.0
  • node-red-dashboard
  • node-red-node-rbe
  • node-red-node-email
  • node-red-node-geofence
  • node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2
  • node-red-contrib-ping (presence detection)
  • node-red-contrib-easing (fading/dimming)
  • node-red-contrib-harmony-websocket (Harmony hub)
  • node-red-contrib-lutron (direct Lutron Caseta, no need to go through HE)
  • node-red-contrib-owntracks (presence detection)
  • node-red-contrib-average (average values of sensors eg. temp/humidity)
  • node-red-contrib-unsafe-function

Although I think installing that entire list might take 8 hours :smiley:

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I discovered node-red-contrib-aedes after I'd already setup mosquitto. So I stuck with mosquitto. But really node-red-contrib-aedes is a better choice if MQTT is used entirely/mostly within NR.

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I also like "node-red-contrib-throttle" which can limit # messages being sent.

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Does look interesting... where do you use it?

I can't imagine the need for "every 5th message"

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It's based on msg count, time, blocksize or reset instead of value like RBE.

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I won't take it personal that you left out my suggestion of node-red-contrib-smartthings. It's because it's SmartThings isn't it? :grin: :grin: :grin:

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@stephen_nutt :smiley:
Fixed :smiley:

Although.. not use HubConnect?? Hard to imagine.. :smiley:

(insider joke.. since I'm clearly a FAN of HubConnect.)

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Blocking messages until reset is nice. Counting is good if you typically get a flood of messages from something you can just block most of them. Also for some kinds of "stateful" things. Haven't used blocksize.

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